Sports shoe interface

ABSTRACT

A structural interface for a sports shoe is described. An implementation of the structural interface includes a lateral beam member and a medial beam member connected together by a bridge member. The lateral and medial beam members may each include at least one mounting location for connection means and/or attachment devices. The connection means or attachment devices mate with sports apparatus, for example, snowboard bindings or bike pedals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates generally to a sports shoe and moreparticularly to a sports boot having a structural interface for use withan attachment device.

[0002] Sports shoes or boots designed to connect to devices such asbicycle pedals, ski bindings or snowboard bindings typically include arigid shank. The rigid shank lies beneath the footbed and works as aleaf spring structure and provides a foundation for mounting a pin orboss for mating with an attachment device on the pedal, or to a ski orsnowboard binding. These sports are associated with impact forces thatare transmitted by the shank into the entire footbed, causingdiscomfort. Since the shank is typically close to the foot, there islittle or no room to include shock absorbing materials to cushion theblows, and even when soft materials are added in strategic locationsunder the foot, the presence of the rigid shank is still perceptible andstill causes discomfort. Consequently, during or following athleticactivity, the wearer of such sports boots may experience foot fatigueand/or pain. Footwear designed for other high impact sports such asbasketball or running solve this problem by constructing the outsolefrom various shock absorbing materials.

[0003] The popularity of sports such as bicycling, skiing andsnowboarding has been increasing each year. In addition, new high-speedchair lift technology now enables skiers and snowboarders to get in moreruns down the mountain during the course of a day than was possible inthe past. Thus, ski and snowboard boots must be lightweight, comfortableand durable, while still providing support for the foot and the riderwith a “feel” for the ski or snowboard. Thus, there is a need for astructural support system for sports shoes that will enable a rider tocomfortably participate in her sport while minimizing foot fatigueand/or foot pain due to impact forces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A structural interface for a sports shoe includes a lateral beammember having at least one mounting location, a medial beam memberhaving at least one mounting location and at least one bridge member.The bridge member spans the width of a footbed and connects the lateraland medial beam members together.

[0005] Implementations of the invention may include one or more of thefollowing features. At least one connection means may be attached to atleast one of the mounting locations. Additionally or alternately, atleast one attachment device may be attached to at least one of themounting locations.

[0006] In another aspect, a method for manufacturing a structuralinterface for a sports shoe includes constructing a lateral beam member,constructing a medial beam member and constructing at least one bridgemember having first and second sides. The first side of the bridgemember is connected to the lateral beam member, and the second side ofthe bridge member is connected to the medial beam member.

[0007] One or more of the following features may be included. Thelateral beam member, the medial beam member and at least one bridgemember may be molded separately. Alternately, the lateral beam member,the medial beam member and at least one bridge member may be moldedtogether to form a unitary structural interface.

[0008] Another aspect of the invention pertains to a structuralinterface for a sports shoe that includes at least one lateral beammember, at least one medial beam member, and a bridge member that spansthe width of a footbed. The bridge member connects the lateral andmedial beam members together. Other features may include at least oneconnection means attached to at least one of the lateral or medial beammembers. Additionally or alternately, at least one attachment device maybe attached to at least one of the lateral or medial beam members.

[0009] Another aspect concerns a method for manufacturing a structuralinterface for a sports shoe. The method includes constructing at leastone lateral beam member, constructing at least one medial beam member,and constructing a bridge member having first and second sides. Thefirst side of the bridge member is connected to each lateral beammember, and the second side of the bridge member is connected to eachmedial beam member. Further features may include that the lateral beammembers, the medial beam members and the bridge member are moldedseparately. Alternately, the lateral beam members, the medial beammembers and the bridge member may be molded together to form a unitarystructural interface.

[0010] In yet another aspect, a sports shoe includes an upper, astructural interface and an outsole. The structural interface includes alateral beam member attached to a lateral portion of the upper andhaving at least one mounting location, a medial beam member attached toa medial portion of the upper and having at least one mounting location,and a bridge member connecting the lateral and medial beam memberstogether. Additional features may include at least one connection meansattached to at least one mounting location. In addition or alternately,at least one attachment device may be attached to at least one mountinglocation. Further, a midsole may be connected to the outsole and to theupper, and a cushioning material may be wrapped around at least aportion of the structural interface. In addition, a foot support paddinglayer may be included.

[0011] Yet another aspect concerns a method for constructing a sportsshoe including a structural interface having a lateral beam member, amedial beam member and a bridge member connecting the lateral and medialbeam members together. The method includes constructing an upper,connecting the lateral beam member of the structural interface to alateral portion of the upper, connecting the medial beam member of thestructural interface to a medial portion of the upper, and connecting anoutsole to the upper. Additional features may include connecting atleast one connection means to at least one of the medial and lateralbeam members, and/or connecting at least one attachment device to atleast one of the medial and lateral beam members.

[0012] Another implementation concerns a structural support system forthe rider of a snowboard. The support system includes at least onesnowboard boot having a structural interface. The structural interfaceincludes at least one lateral beam member attached to a lateral portionof the upper, at least one medial beam member attached to a medialportion of the upper and a bridge member connecting the lateral andmedial beam members together. The support system further includes atleast one connection means attached to at least one of the lateral andmedial beam members, and a snowboard binding including at least oneattachment device for mating with the connection means. Alternately,such a structural support system may include at least one attachmentdevice attached to at least one of the lateral and medial beam members,and a snowboard binding including at least one connection means formating with the attachment device.

[0013] Advantages of the invention include that the structural interfaceallows for a high performance, lightweight shoe design. Lightweightcushioning materials common to footwear, such as EVA and/or polyurethaneand/or other shock-absorbing materials, may be used with a thin outsolewhen fabricating the sports shoe. In addition, the structural interfacepermits the foot to be closer to the sports product, such as asnowboard, than prior art sports shoe and shank designs, which improvesthe rider's control. Since there is no large structural shank underfoot, most perceived vibrational loads that previously went into thefoot during sports activity have been eliminated. Further, thestructural interface may be molded as a one piece unit, and only foursizes are required to cover an entire range of foot sizes from USA shoesizes 3 through 14. Thus, a cost savings is realized over conventionalfull-size foot shanks, which must be manufactured for each shoe size.Yet further, the shape and use of a bridge member makes it easy toposition the structural interface within the shoe during manufacture.

[0014] Additional advantages are realized for sports such assnowboarding, because the side beam configuration of the inventionprovides an improved means for transmitting control forces from the footof the rider to the binding and thus to the snowboard. The result isimproved control. The medial and lateral side member structure alsoprovides a wider, and thus more stable, connection area for a binding inaddition to a strong structural connection. Furthermore, since bothhorizontal and vertical forces are supported by the side beams,side-to-side foot movement or “wallowing” within the sports shoe isminimized during maneuvers. The present invention also allows for lowplacement of the foot in relation to the sports product, because of thethin bridge member, while still permitting the use of adequate amountsof shock absorbing outsole and innersole materials under the foot forcomfort. For example, a snowboard rider can assert improved control ofthe snowboard when her foot is comfortable and relaxed. In addition, theabsence of a thick supporting shank underfoot eliminates transmission ofthe cold conditions to the foot.

[0015] Other features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0016]FIG. 1 illustrates a structural interface according to theinvention for use in a sports shoe.

[0017]FIG. 2 is a simplified, cutaway perspective view of a sports bootincluding the structural interface of FIG. 1.

[0018]FIG. 3A is a another simplified, perspective view of the sportsboot of FIG. 2.

[0019]FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional front view of the sport boot of FIG.3A taken along line 3B-3B.

[0020]FIG. 4 illustrates two snowboard boots that include the inventionconnected to bindings on a snowboard.

[0021]FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are perspective, side and top views,respectively, of another implementation of a structural interfaceaccording to the invention.

[0022]FIG. 5D is a perspective view of an alternate implementation of astructural interface according to the invention.

[0023]FIG. 6A is a perspective view outline of a sports boot containinga dotted line representation of another implementation of a structuralinterface according to the invention.

[0024]FIG. 6B illustrates the implementation of the structural interfaceshown in dotted line in FIG. 6A.

[0025]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional depiction of the structural interfaceof FIG. 6B taken along dotted line 7-7 of FIG. 6A.

[0026]FIG. 8 is a top view of yet another implementation of a structuralinterface according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027]FIG. 1 illustrates an implementation of a structural interface 2for use within a sports shoe. The structural interface includes alateral side vertical beam 4 and a medial side vertical beam 6. The beammembers 4 and 6 are shaped to conform to the outside boundaries on themedial and lateral sides of the middle portion of a footbed of a sportsshoe, and are connected together by a bridge member 8 which may be athin web. Areas 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D indicate possible mountinglocations for connection means (not shown) such as a pin or boss. Suchconnection means are shaped to mate with an attachment device, such as abicycle pedal attachment device or a snowboard binding. Alternately, oneor both beam members 4 and 6 may include at least one attachment device,such as a block having a track, for mating with or capturing a pin orboss associated with a snowboard binding. Further, more or less mountinglocations could be designated in other positions on the lateral ormedial beam members.

[0028] The structural interface of FIG. 1 is typically wholly containedwithin a sports shoe, and thus the presence of the interface is notordinarily apparent to a consumer. The connection means or attachmentdevices associated with the lateral side beam 4 and vertical side beam6, however, usually project outwardly or horizontally from one or moreof the areas 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D beyond the side wall of a vamp ormidsole, and thus are noticeable by a consumer.

[0029] The structural interface 2 may be made of rubber, metal, plastic,urethane, an alloy or a composite material, or any other flexible anddurable material. The structural interface may be molded as a one-pieceunit, or may be manufactured in two or more separate pieces and thenconnected together. In addition, the side beam members 4 and 6 may bemade of different materials and may differ from the material of thebridge member 8, depending on the desired bending and/or shearingcharacteristics and method of manufacture. Consequently, each beammember may flex and otherwise react to stress forces in a differentmanner.

[0030] The bridge member 8 is preferably a thin web material and isflexible so that it is substantially imperceptible to the foot. Such abridge member readily bends or flexes so that it imparts a minimalamount of pressure on the foot during use. The bridge member connectsthe medial and lateral side beams for ease of manufacture, facilitatesalignment of the structural interface during manufacture of a sportsshoe, and does not take up much space beneath the foot. The bridgemember functions as a spacer element between the side beam members, isnot intended to function as a support apparatus for the foot, and is notintended to support any connection means or attachment devices.

[0031] Referring again to FIG. 1, the medial and lateral side beams 4and 6 may have a height “h” of approximately 20 to 30 millimeters (mm),a length “l” of approximately 100 mm to 140 mm, and a thickness “t” ofapproximately 2.5 mm to 4.5 mm. The bridge member 8 is on the order of1.5 mm to 2.5 mm or less in thickness, and in the illustrated embodimentis “H” shaped, having a length “b” at its midsection that issubstantially less than the length “l” of a side beam member. However,it should be understood that the length, height and thickness rangedimensions of the medial and lateral side beams and the bridge memberdisclosed above are merely exemplary and may vary, depending on thematerial used, the desired flexing characteristics, and the shoe size.

[0032]FIG. 2 is a simplified cutaway, perspective view of a sports boot20 having an upper or vamp 22 shown in dotted lines, and including thestructural interface 2 of FIG. 1. The sports boot includes a toe area24, a heel area 25, a lateral side area 26 and a medial side area 27.The vamp 22 is arranged to wrap securely about a wearer's foot andankle, and may include any of a number of known types of cinchingmechanisms, such as laces (not shown), to fasten the sports boot to thefoot. The vamp 22 may be constructed of a combination of durablematerials or fabrics such as leather, canvas and/or waterproofmaterials, and portions of the upper may also be reinforced by addinglayers of fabric or other materials, such as cowhide, vinyl or leather.The reinforcing layers may be used to increase wear and/or to imparteither flexibility or stiffness, depending on the material used, as isknown in the art. The placement of such added layers may also bedictated by fashion or style concerns. Although a sports boot upper orvamp 22 has been shown and described, any type of shoe upper can beutilized with the structural interface 2.

[0033] The vamp 22 may be attached to an outsole 30 using any number oftechniques, such as by stitching or by using adhesives, and thestructural interface may be integrated with or attached to the interiorof the vamp 22 during construction. Alternately, the structuralinterface may first be aligned with and attached to the outsole or to amidsole (not shown) before the vamp is attached to the outsole. Thestructural interface permits construction of the shoe sole withmaterials and processes similar to those used in other high impactsports shoes such as basketball shoes. The side beam structure also doesnot appreciably add to the vertical stack height of the sports boot,thus allowing the foot to be closer to a snowboard. This is true becausethe bridge member 8 is thin, having a thickness on the order of 1.5 mmto 2.5 mm in most cases.

[0034]FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the sports boot 20 of FIG. 2including cushioning material 12 shown in cross-section wrapped aboutthe structural interface 2, and pins 14 and 16 protruding from themedial side of the boot above the outsole 30. The pins 14 and 16 aremounted on the medial side vertical beam 6 of the structural interfaceat positions 10A and 10B (see FIG. 1), and the entire structuralinterface is encased within the cushioning material 12. One or more pinsalso project horizontally from the lateral side of the boot (not shown).Although the illustrated pins 14 and 16 are generally cylindrical, manyother connection means of different sizes and shapes, such assubstantially rectangular bosses, could be used. Furthermore, as will bedescribed below, in addition to or instead of connection means,attachment devices may be used with the structural interface.

[0035]FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional front view of the sport boot 20 takenalong line 3B-3B of FIG. 3A. The pin 14 is connected to the medial sidebeam 6 and protrudes outwardly from the medial side of the vamp 22, andpin 15 is connected to the lateral side beam 4 and protrudes outwardlyfrom the lateral side of the vamp 22. A cushioning material 12 may bewrapped about the structural interface, and this construction lies abovethe outsole 30. A padding material 18 may be added on top of the bridgemember 8 and cushioning material 12, and may include an insole materialsuch as terrycloth for contacting the foot. Many different constructionvariations could be implemented. For example, a support padding layer 18may not be used, and/or a midsole may be included in addition to anoutsole. If a midsole is used, the structural interface may be embeddedtherein during construction of the shoe.

[0036]FIG. 4 illustrates two snowboard boots 21 and 23 that each includea structural interface with connection means that align and mate withsnowboard bindings 31 and 33 which are attached to a snowboard 35. Thesnowboard boot 21, the structural interface in the boot and the binding31 together form a structural support system. The structural supportsystem resists deflection, so that a snowboard rider can apply forcesvia the medial and lateral portions of the foot to maneuver thesnowboard, which are transmitted to the snowboard via the snowboardbinding and the structural interface. In addition, vertical impactforces in the direction of arrow “f” (also shown in FIG. 3) are dividedinto two components. The first component, the impact force from thesnowboard 35, is handled by the cushioning material of the outsole,midsole and any internal padding of the sports shoe. The secondcomponent, point forces from the binding that impinge on the connectionmeans of the structural interface, are directed by the beam members 4and 6 (shown in FIG. 3B) into the vamp of the snowboard boot. Thevertical forces from the binding impinging on the side beams effectivelyshear past the foot rather than impact on the bottom of the foot.Consequently, the bridge element 8 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the structuralinterface does not impart any significant amount of pressure on thebottom of the foot due to the forces from the binding. As a result, asnowboard boot including the structural interface provides a rider withimproved control because impact forces are absorbed by the appropriatematerials resulting in a foot that is supported in a more relaxedcondition. A relaxed foot condition is important because then moreenergy can be expended by the rider on controlling the snowboard ratherthan fighting foot pain.

[0037]FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are perspective, side and top views,respectively, of another implementation of a structural interface 40. Alateral side beam 42 and medial side beam 44 are connected together by abridge member 46. Referring to the top view of FIG. 5C, three bosses 47,48 and 49 having a generally trapezoidal profile are shown protrudingfrom the side beams 42 and 44. In this implementation, the lateral sidebeam 42 is longer than the medial side beam 44, and thus contains morepotential anchor points for supporting connection means, such as thebosses 47 and 48, than the medial side beam. However, other side beamsize relationships are contemplated. For example, a structural interfacecould be manufactured having a medial side beam that is longer than thelateral side beam and contains more connection means and/or attachmentdevices than the lateral side beam.

[0038]FIG. 5D is a perspective view of an alternate implementation of astructural interface 100. A lateral side beam 102 and medial side beam104 are connected together by a bridge member 106. Two attachmentdevices 108 and 110 having channels or tracks 109 and 111, respectively,are attached to the medial side beam 104. Each of the tracks 109 and 111is designed to accept a mating appendage, such as a pin or boss, that ispart of, for example, a snowboard binding (not shown). An aperture 114having a lip 116 is shown in the medial side beam 102, which canaccommodate a connection means such as a boss or pin, or to which anattachment device, such as those described above, can be mounted. Thus,a structural interface may have multiple mounting areas capable ofaccommodating multiple types of connection means or attachment devices.

[0039]FIG. 6A is a perspective view outline of a sports boot 60containing a dotted line representation of a structural interface 50 ofFIG. 6B seated in position within the sports boot. The structuralinterface 50 of FIG. 6B is similar to the interface 40 of FIGS. 5A to5C, but has a medial side beam 54 having a slightly different shape thanthe medial side beam 44. The structural interface 50 may include threemounting locations 57, 58 and 59 (see FIG. 6A) for connection means orattachment means.

[0040]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional depiction 70 of the structuralinterface 50 taken along dotted line 7-7 of FIG. 6A. The bridge member56 is sandwiched between the outsole 30 and a support padding 68. Thevamp 67 of sports boot 60 may be adhesively attached, stitched orotherwise connected to the lateral and medial side beams 52 and 54.Further layers, such as a midsole layer, or additional cushioning layersmay be included; however, such additional layers may not be desirable.For example, in the sport of snowboarding, it is advantageous for thefoot to be as close to the snowboard as possible to maximize control.Thus, in such cases, a minimum amount of padding in the footbed toprovide comfort should be used.

[0041] Referring again to FIG. 7, bosses 53 and 55 have been integrallymolded with the lateral and medial side beams 52 and 54 of thestructural interface. In addition, the bosses 53 and 55 include notches73 and 75 that mate with the lateral edge 32 and medial edge 34 of theoutsole 30 during manufacture of the sport shoe. Although an integrallymolded construction may be preferred, pins, bosses and/or otherconnection means or attachment devices may be separately attached afterformation of the structural interface. Further, such connection means orattachment means may be removable and/or interchangeable with othertypes of connection means or attachment devices to allow a sports bootto mate with different types of bindings or other apparatus.

[0042]FIG. 8 is a top view of another implementation of a structuralinterface 80. The structural interface 80 contains multiple lateral sidebeams 82 and 83 and multiple medial side beams 84, 85 and 86 connectedtogether by a common thin bridge member 87. Each of the side beams 82 to86 can provide one or more anchor points for connection means orattachment devices, and may be utilized with an outsole or midsole of asports shoe to provide a support structure for connection to a sportsapparatus. As shown, lateral side beams 82 and 83 each support one boss88 and 89, and medial side beam member 85 supports one pin. In addition,medial side beam members 84 and 86 each support two pins 90 and 91, and93 and 94, respectively. Thus, different combinations of connectionsmeans and/or attachment devices may be utilized. The bridge member 87functions as a spacer to facilitate positioning of the structuralinterface 80 within a sports shoe or boot during manufacture asdescribed above.

[0043] Each of the structural interface implementations described hereinmay be molded as a one-piece unit, including the connection means orattachment devices. One piece construction for the structural interfaceis cost effective because, to cover USA foot sizes 3 through 14, onlyfour different size structural interface units, and thus only fourmolds, are required. Alternatively, some or all of the side beammembers, bridge member, the connection means and/or attachment devicesmay be manufactured separately of the same or different materials, andthen be connected together to satisfy performance criteria and/orinterchangeability criteria.

[0044] Detailed descriptions of implementations of the invention hasbeen disclosed, however, various modifications could be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, theillustrated structural interface devices generally utilize a singlebridge member that is generally “X” or “H” shaped, however, bridgemembers having different shapes, as well as a structural interfaceincluding a plurality of bridge members of the same or different spanlengths are contemplated. Furthermore, the number of pins, bosses orattachment devices connected to either of the lateral or medial beams,and their particular shapes, can vary depending on the type of matingdevice or binding to be used and/or the type of sports activityinvolved.

What is claimed is:
 1. A structural interface for a sports shoe,comprising: a lateral beam member having at least one mounting location;a medial beam member having at least one mounting location; and at leastone bridge member that spans the width of a footbed and connects thelateral and medial beam members together.
 2. The structural interface ofclaim 1 , further comprising at least one connection means attached toat least one of the mounting locations.
 3. The structural interface ofclaim 1 , further comprising at least one attachment device attached toat least one of the mounting locations.
 4. A method for manufacturing astructural interface for a sports shoe, comprising: constructing alateral beam member; constructing a medial beam member; constructing atleast one bridge member having first and second sides; and connectingthe first side of the bridge member to the lateral beam member; andconnecting the second side of the bridge member to the medial beammember.
 5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the lateral beam member, themedial beam member and at least one bridge member are molded separately.6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the lateral beam member, the medialbeam member and at least one bridge member are molded together to form aunitary structural interface.
 7. A structural interface for a sportsshoe, comprising: at least one lateral beam member; at least one medialbeam member; and a bridge member that spans the width of a footbed andconnects the lateral and medial beam members together.
 8. The apparatusof claim 7 , further comprising at least one connection means attachedto at least one of the lateral or medial beam members.
 9. The structuralinterface of claim 7 , further comprising at least one attachment deviceattached to at least one of the lateral or medial beam members.
 10. Amethod for manufacturing a structural interface for a sports shoe,comprising: constructing at least one lateral beam member; constructingat least one medial beam member; constructing a bridge member havingfirst and second sides; and connecting the first side of the bridgemember to each lateral beam member; and connecting the second side ofthe bridge member to each medial beam member.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the lateral beam members, the medial beam members and thebridge member are molded separately.
 12. The method of claim 10 ,wherein the lateral beam members, the medial beam members and the bridgemember are molded together to form a unitary structural interface.
 13. Asports shoe, comprising: an upper; a structural interface having alateral beam member attached to a lateral portion of the upper andhaving at least one mounting location, a medial beam member attached toa medial portion of the upper and having at least one mounting location,and a bridge member connecting the lateral and medial beam memberstogether; and an outsole connected to the upper.
 14. The sports shoe ofclaim 13 , further comprising at least one connection means attached toat least one mounting location.
 15. The sports shoe of claim 13 ,further comprising at least one attachment device attached to at leastone mounting location.
 16. The sports shoe of claim 13 , furthercomprising a midsole connected to the outsole and to the upper.
 17. Thesports shoe of claim 13 , further comprising a cushioning materialwrapped around at least a portion of the structural interface.
 18. Thesports shoe of claim 13 , further comprising a foot support paddinglayer.
 19. A method for constructing a sports shoe including astructural interface having a lateral beam member, a medial beam memberand a bridge member connecting the lateral and medial beam memberstogether, comprising: constructing an upper; connecting the lateral beammember of the structural interface to a lateral portion of the upper;connecting the medial beam member of the structural interface to amedial portion of the upper; and connecting an outsole to the upper. 20.The method of claim 19 , further comprising connecting at least oneconnection means to at least one of the medial and lateral beam members.21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising connecting at least oneattachment device to at least one of the medial and lateral beammembers.
 22. A structural support system for the rider of a snowboard,comprising: at least one snowboard boot including a structural interfacehaving at least one lateral beam member attached to a lateral portion ofthe upper, at least one medial beam member attached to a medial portionof the upper and a bridge member connecting the lateral and medial beammembers together; at least one connection means attached to at least oneof the lateral and medial beam members; and a snowboard bindingincluding at least one attachment device for mating with the connectionmeans.
 23. A structural support system for the rider of a snowboard,comprising: at least one snowboard boot including a structural interfacehaving at least one lateral beam member attached to a lateral portion ofthe upper, at least one medial beam member attached to a medial portionof the upper and a bridge member connecting the lateral and medialmembers together; at least one attachment device attached to at leastone of the lateral and medial beam members; and a snowboard bindingincluding at least one connection means for mating with the attachmentdevice.